The present invention relates to dump trailer in general and in particular to dump trailer intended for use in hauling liquid containing residue.
In many applications, such as the hauling of incinerator residue and hazardous material, it is essential that the solid material be hauled on public highways without permitting contaminated fluid to drip from the trailer. On prior art attempt to meet this requirement has been the utilization of water tight dump gates. However, trailers utilizing water tight dump gates generally do not provide any means for draining liquid from the residue and it is often necessary to haul materials containing excessive amounts of liquid. Hauling the excess liquid is troublesome for two reasons. In the first instance, there is always the potential for damage to the trailer which will result in liquid spillage. In the second instance, transporting unnecessary liquid adds to the weight of the load and thereby increases transportation cost, road damage and dumping cost. In addition to the foregoing, it is often difficult to maintain the integrity of the watertight dump gates, due to use damage and wear, and dripping liquid is a common problem.
In addition to the foregoing, excess liquid can frequently cause problems in dumping of the load at waste disposal sites. Problems associated with dumping can be caused by additional packing of the materials as well a freezing of the liquid, in those climates which are subject to adverse weather conditions.
In an effort to overcome the prior art difficulties in purging the residue of excess liquid and in transporting the residue with the remaining unpurged liquid, I have provided a trailer which incorporates a means for draining the liquid during loading, a sloped floor for retaining additional liquid which settles during transportation and a means for heating the trailer, using the tractor exhaust, to prevent freezing.